starters & sides

On Halloween night, our friend invited us over for crockpot chili before we wrangled our toddlers into a wagon to go trick-or-treating. I asked my friend Amy what I should bring, and she said whatever I'd be baking for the blog next week. I didn’t have an idea in mind, so I decided to make the perfect side dish for chili— a honey sage cornbread.I wanted to break out of the traditional cornbread recipes, so I searched for something different. I found lots of cheesy bacon green chili type recipes, I even found a goat cheese and caramelized onions recipe, but those just seemed a bit over the top. I didn’t want to compete with the chili. I also found a few different herbed cornbread recipes but settled on sage because it is one of those herbs I really only use in fall, which seemed perfect for Halloween night. I prefer sweeter cornbread, so I chose a recipe with honey. I also wanted to bake it in our newly seasoned cast iron skillet.Given all my requirements, this honey sage cornbread Epicurious recipe was a near perfect fit. I upped the honey amount slightly for added sweetness and added more sage in the recipe since I didn’t use the whole sage leaves on top like the original recipe described. This honey sage cornbread was really delicious. The sage and honey worked really well together, a perfect mix of savory and sweet. Plus, it was really moist and perfectly complimented the beef chili our friends made.The best part, this cornbread is so easy to make. If you haven’t already planned your Thanksgiving dinner, this would be a great side dish for your table. What's your favorite cornbread recipe? Honey Sage Cornbread Ingredients: 1 cup cornmeal (preferably whole grain, medium grind) 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage 1 cup whole milk 3/4 cup honey 1 large egg 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter Directions: Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat heavy 10-inch-diameter cast-iron skillet in the oven for 10 minutes. Whisk first 4 ingredients and chopped sage in large bowl to blend. Whisk milk, honey, and egg in medium bowl to blend. Remove skillet from oven; add 1/2 cup butter. Swirl until butter is melted. Pour all except 2 tablespoons butter into egg mixture. Add egg mixture to cornmeal mixture; stir until just combined (do not overmix; batter will be wet and runny). Pour batter into skillet. Bake until browned around edges and tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Cool in skillet 10 minutes. Invert onto platter.

starters & sides

Honey Sage Cornbread

Caprese Tart with Heirloom Tomatoes